Please - lets get this right.
Fedex only charges the high brokerage fee on the Ground service. I think there is a nominal fee - say $10 on the other services, but I haven't used them for a while.
UPS doesn't charge a brokerage fee at all except for Ground, Standard, and Standard to Canada Services. On these services the brokerage fee is high. High enough that you may want to go with a higher level service.
USPS Parcel Post offers no tracking once the item is under the control of Canada Post. All USPS services can take from a few days to several weeks to clear customs. "Handling fee" is $5 to $8.
UPS and Fedex provide door to door tracking and all items clear customs quickly - often in a matter of hours.
It comes down to this - if you want inexpensive and don't care when it shows - USPS parcel post.
If you want it fast and are willing to pay extra - UPS expedited or better. You may want to compare price with USPS Global Express, but remember the customs delays for USPS.
If the item is very large - UPS or Fedex Ground may be your only choice; but remember you will have to pay a large brokerage fee. This offsets the savings you may see when comparing other alternatives e.g. Airborne Express and DHL.
Count on always paying GST/PST or HST.
You will almost never pay duty on USPS shipments. You may be assessed duty on Fedex or UPS, but only if the item has evidence of not being manufactured in North America or other exempt regions AND the item is subject to duty.
Other factors to consider:
If you know you aren't going to be there to receive the package use USPS. The undelivered package will go to your local postal outlet and you can pick it up there. If you want to pick up at an UPS or Fedex outlet they require approval of the seller and this can cause a delay.
Always attach a note to your payment - "No UPS Ground/Standard/Standard to Canada or Fedex Ground shipping (unless that is what you want). Please ensure the item is valued on customs documentation for no more than the amount I paid for the item. Do not include freight, handling, or other charges"
